points and errings were covered with hard, flinty ice, and
it was not until marline spikes were used that any progress was made.
The men's hands, already covered with wounds, had their fingers badly
cut with the icy ropes and sails in carrying out this order, but it was
not until they had been running south for a couple of days that they
began to feel the full extent of their sores. Regular watches were now
kept, and each time they tumbled out of their hammocks to relieve each
other the pain of opening their hands was terrible. Two of the
apprentices had both their feet badly frostbitten.

At last the Norwegian land was made, and one fine morning in the month
of March she slipped into the beautiful harbour of Stavanger to have
the broken pump-stand and shattered rigging and sails put right. The
two boys were landed, and the doctors said their feet were in such a
state of putrefaction they must be taken off at once. None of the other
members of the crew were bitten by frost, but it took many days to heal
their raw wounds. The salt of the sea had not only pickled them, but
had penetrated into their very bones.

Meanwhile the crew of the _Silverspray_ had been landed at the Tyne by
the Yarmouth smack, and they reported that when last they saw the
_Blake_ she was hove to, and signalled making a lot of water; and as
day after day passed and no news came, grave fears were entertained for
her safety; heavy premiums were paid; and the relatives blamed the
_Silverspray's_ men for leaving the crew in a leaky ship--an
unjustifiable charge, for the sailors of that period were not given to
abandoning vessels prematurely. But so long a time had elapsed since
she was spoken of that all hope of her safety was given up. At last
there appeared in one of the local papers a paragraph stating that it
was feared the well-known brig had succumbed, with all aboard, to the
terrible storms that raged over the northern latitudes during the early
part of February. This put an end to all doubt: newspaper statements
were generally believed. But a few days after this announcement a
letter, part of which had been written while sailing along the
Norwegian coast, in order that it might be posted on arrival, was
received in a country village as the first intelligence of her safety.
It is quite sailor-like in its composition, and characteristically free
from whining. The writer merely deals with facts, and very briefly with
them. I have just been shown t